The Starting Point of This World, Ruthless Bloodline

It seems the other party was unwilling to be controlled indefinitely, which displeased this person and made them want to get rid of Old Daoist Green Ox.

That's true. If the Indestructible Heavenly Art were to be spread externally, the Ruthless Bloodline would lose its only reliance and, without an Emperor Weapon, would cease to exist in name only.

A cultivation method is the foundation of establishing a sect, so its importance is naturally paramount.

Especially an Emperor Scripture like the Indestructible Heavenly Art, which can restrain the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art, is unique in the world.

These people who cultivate the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art are the leaders of their sects on the surface, but in the eyes of the mysterious person, they are no different from lackeys, mere pawns to be used and discarded.

Such an excessive request naturally could not be agreed to.

It looks like Old Daoist Green Ox is in danger, and will soon be abandoned, ending in ruin and disgrace.

Zhang Huan speculated, wondering what confidence Old Daoist Green Ox had to make such a demand of this mysterious person.

"After calculating, I've been stuck at the Saint King realm for a thousand years. The demonic embryo has never formed, and I can't advance further."

The middle-aged man sighed. Although he cultivated an Emperor Scripture and had ample resources, his talent and aptitude were limited, preventing him from truly mastering the Indestructible Heavenly Art.

It was like being trapped in a vicious cycle, unable to find an answer, which eventually turned into a mental block.

If he could break through this cocoon and emerge as a butterfly, he might even reach the Quasi-Emperor realm in the future. Then, he could find a Holy Land to hide in, and this bloodline would truly flourish, no longer needing to hide and be hunted like now.

"The prosperous era is approaching, and the younger generation of the Big Dipper is becoming more formidable. If I can't make any progress, I'll have to lie low for a long time again."

As time flowed by, quite a few people had taken notice of them, seeking the Emperor Scripture and their inheritance. This was why this bloodline was so cautious and acted with their tails tucked between their legs.

He had an idea: this time would likely be the last time he collected resources. The resources he had plundered over the years were enough for thousands of years of consumption, so there was no need to rush around for them anymore.

Later, they would lie low again, and when the number of powerful experts in the world decreased, they would slowly extend their tentacles.

"No, it's better to make another appearance. Old Daoist Green Ox and his group are a potential threat. It's time to deal with them all and completely remove the loose ends."

"Saint-level demonic cultivation food is not common. Perhaps I can break through my bottleneck in one go."

The middle-aged man's eyes held a bloodthirsty glint, his cruel expression seeming to foreshadow the fate of those branch leaders.

Poor Old Daoist Green Ox was still thinking about the Indestructible Heavenly Art, unaware that he was already someone else's meal.

The Heaven Swallowing Demonic Art was born to be nourishment, a tonic for the Indestructible Heavenly Art.

Having devoured over a dozen Saints from the Central Continent, along with the leaders from other regions, it might be possible to comprehend a new path.

Zhang Huan nodded secretly. In his perception, the opponent's cultivation was extremely profound, with years of accumulation solidifying his foundation. If he broke through, it would be normal to advance through multiple realms consecutively.

If they were enemies, Zhang Huan would never allow such a person to grow. He would have to be eliminated early before they gained power!

"This person must die!"

After a final check of the resources' safety, ensuring no marked items were brought along, the middle-aged man collected the resources and transferred them into a small white cauldron, a Saint Artifact.

As soon as they entered the cauldron, they vanished as if a stone had sunk into the sea, isolating everything.

"This cauldron can even block spiritual sense. I wonder what material it's made of."

Zhang Huan's spiritual sense couldn't penetrate the cauldron to see what was inside. Even with his Great Saint realm cultivation, he couldn't detect anything unusual until his divine sense touched it.

Seeing the small cauldron being hidden in the Sea of Suffering, Zhang Huan decided to leave this man half-dead.

Muttering as he walked out of the cave, the middle-aged man looked at the youth at the cave entrance with surprise.

"Who are you!"

The middle-aged man was greatly alarmed and hurriedly summoned a jade plate.

He had set up formations around the mountains when he arrived, and had not detected any anomalies until now. He never expected an uninvited guest to appear outside his cave dwelling.

"The one who's here to take your life!"

Zhang Huan sneered, pulling out the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar and smashing it over. The immense Emperor pressure struck the man's head, tearing apart his Primordial Spirit.

"With your meager Origin Arts skills, I could break them just by slightly drawing upon the power of heaven and earth."

Looking at the man who had fallen straight to the ground, Zhang Huan explained, though he figured the other party could no longer hear him.

He had refined the Heaven Swallowing Demonic Jar for many years, using it more fluently than his natal Saint Artifact. For long-range attacks, he unleashed extreme light waves; for close combat, he directly smashed it at the opponent's head.

No matter how he fought, any enemy struck would be heavily injured. Emperor artifacts had no weaknesses; even fighting in the most primitive way was invincible.

He stepped forward and collected the remaining Primordial Spirit fragments. Zhang Huan observed the man's memories and discovered that a section had been deleted, precisely the most crucial location of his lair.

He restored it using the Soul Guiding Technique and, after much effort, broke through the man's restrictions, attempting to deduce the location of the Ruthless Bloodline.

To cut the grass and remove the roots, Zhang Huan, a cultivator of demonic arts himself, firmly remembered this principle. Moreover, he himself coveted the opportunities of the Ruthless Bloodline.

Golden Law Threads spread out, drawing upon Dao Patterns, extending towards the Eastern Wasteland, and finally stopping at an ordinary village.

"It's here."

Zhang Huan exclaimed in shock after deducing the location.

He found it almost unbelievable. If this information hadn't come from the memory fragments of this mysterious person, he would never have believed it.

Black Wind Stockade.

A familiar yet strange place.

The Ruthless Bloodline, which had made a formidable name for itself in the Eastern Wasteland, was hidden at the starting point of his current life.

It was only a few hundred meters away from the village where the Innate Dao Embryo Zhang Huan had saved, close at hand.

In his memory, a few mortal bandits were enough to make the entire village kneel and beg for mercy, with blades at their throats, threatening to extort annual fees.

Zhang Huan's heart was a tangle of emotions, unable to resolve his inner conflict.

Why was it that even a village with a Saint King had ordinary people riding roughshod over them?

If they were truly from the Ruthless Bloodline, would they really let an Innate Dao Embryo go without devouring it?

He couldn't understand it, and the shock in Zhang Huan's heart never ceased.

Since that was the case, he might as well go and find out directly. He flew towards Black Wind Stockade.

It was still a land of yellow dust and flying sand, desolate as far as the eye could see. Even in the Eastern Wasteland, such an environment was harsh and not suitable for mortals to survive.

From afar, he saw a group of bandits gathered at the village entrance, making a commotion.

"Old geezer, I think you won't shed tears until you see blood. How many days has it been? Where's your village's annual fee?"

A hot-tempered yellow-haired youth grabbed the old village chief by the collar, holding a sharp knife to his neck.

"Bandit Lord, our village truly has no more provisions. Please be merciful and give us a few more days!"

The old village chief wailed and begged for mercy, clasping his hands repeatedly towards the youth, who was several times younger than him. His face was full of sorrow and etched with the hardships of time.

Year after year, the people changed, but the content remained the same.

Seeing this scene, Zhang Huan couldn't help but shake his head.

He had clearly uprooted Black Wind Stockade, including the sect that had protected their evil deeds.

Yet, here it was, as usual, with bandits rampaging, villagers suffering oppression, and finding life difficult while still having to pay "annual fees." It seemed no different from a thousand years ago.

Did the Ruthless Bloodline truly live here? Zhang Huan's mood was indescribable.

He slowly descended from the sky, his gaze indifferent. "Get out, all of you. If you're not gone within three breaths, you die!"

The bandit leader saw the Immortal Master descend and was so frightened that he immediately turned his horse around.

"Esteemed Immortal Master, this humble one is also forced to be here, compelled to collect the annual fee. I beg the Immortal Master to show mercy and spare us. We will never again serve Yellow Wind Stockade to oppress the people."

They fled quickly. The arrogant yellow-haired youth from before didn't dare to breathe and shamefully followed the other bandits.

The village chief took deep breaths, as if he had narrowly escaped death. He smiled, but it was uglier than crying. It was hard to imagine how much oppression he had endured in his lifetime.

The other villagers were much the same. It was hard to imagine that this was the lair of a Saint King.

Just as he was about to help him up, a powerful Divine Sense emanated from the village, making Zhang Huan tremble.

"Young man, I know you are here for the Ruthless Bloodline. Those people know nothing. There's no need to waste your thoughts on them. Come and see me. I will tell you everything."

The voice was ancient, as if gasping for breath, carrying a sense of decay. Zhang Huan could feel that the owner of the Divine Sense must be a very old man.

"So that's how it is. Anywhere can be a place to settle, it just happened to be hiding in this village."